Chick Flick
by Hisgirlfelicity
Summary: CEO, serious relationship having Oliver Queen is ready to take the plunge with his long time girlfriend, that is until a Flick Smoak crashes into his life, godly tech skills, beautiful blue eyes and all. Sparks will fly upon impact, the quirky tech genius showing him what he didn't expect and never knew he wanted.
1. On the Breadstick

**~* Chick Flick *~ **

**un·ex·pect·ed  
**[uhn-ik-spek-tid]  
_adjective  
__not expected or regarded as likely to happen_. Their Love? so unexpected

**[One]  
**

**_Oliver_**

The thought cluttered his mind on a quiet Tuesday afternoon

His breathing was still, steady in the dark room. His thoughts? well those weren't quite as steady.

He was going to ask her to marry him.

Laurel

_Thee_ Laurel.

He was going to ask her to be his wife.

She'd been dropping hints for a while now, asking where he saw their relationship headed, what he wanted in life, what he thought of big families, would he ever want to have twins? what about Larry for a boys name?

all understandable having dated as long as they had- except for the whole Larry situation, she knew he wanted his first born son to carry on his fathers name. His mother, too, was pent on getting him married, and more importantly, getting herself grandkids. Though a little less subtle with her approach _"Oliver, you're not getting any younger, god knows I'm not, and I want grandchildren!"_

He got the message nonetheless. Loud and clear, he would say.

He thought about the last couple years for a moment, thinking they'd felt like a strange, slightly arousing game of cat and mouse since dodging her hints of moving in together a few years back, her hinting at marriage and a life together and him.. well lets say he was considerably less keen to the idea

And if he was being completely honest ,which he was, it was a sort of new resolution for him, _honesty_

He tended to avoid commitment like the plague.

But Laurel, she stuck with him all these years, she was all he really knew. Even though their relationship was like a disconcerting off-and-on-again roller coaster ride, those that always seemed to be on the edge of flying over the tracks, he'd never strayed too far from her.

So he laid there, next to Laurel's softly sleeping form, asking himself- why the hell not?

Why shouldn't he ask Laurel Lance to marry him?

He was CEO of a large company, albeit an under-qualified one, but he was giving it his best shot. He had his own apartment, penthouse actually, and it was about time he settled down, a thought he never imagined his head was even capable of forming.

but there it was

His partying days were definitely behind him, he didn't think his liver could take any more abuse. His wandering eye was reigned in tight, his self control at an all time high, his inhibitions very much his own-

It was the perfect time, he couldn't imagine a more perfect time

He would get the ring out from the Queen family vault, he would make reservations at that expensive french restaurant she liked that had those clam things that he, personally, thought were gross but she couldn't seem get enough of whenever he managed a night off to take her out. He would put the ring on a breadstick, stuck out just far enough for the glint of the diamond to catch her eye like in those romantic movies she loved so much.

She would cry, happy tears, of course, and people would clap. A moment to remember- like she'd said she wanted.

Their epic love finally culminating.

He laid stretched out on her bed, sleep escaping him while he studied the cracked finishing of the eggshell ceiling.

He looked over towards the warm sleeping body that laid peacefully beside him, her dark hair sprawled over the plain bedding, her chest rising and falling in soft movements. He watched her for a few moments before falling back into his side of the bed, his arms coming to rest behind his head as he continued to trace the edges of her cracking ceiling with tired eyes that refused to rest, finding the faults in Laurels handy work too interesting to miss.

"Ollie?" her groggy voice called out softly "Why aren't you asleep?" she asked, turning on her side to face him, her eyes still closed, heavy with sleep

"Your ceiling needs fixing" he whispered into the dark room

"What?" the word was uttered lethargically, her voice already losing the battle with exhaustion.

"Your ceiling, It needs-" the soft sound of her snores cut him off, his meaningless words getting lost in the darkness. He glanced at her, already back to sleeping with a blank expression on her face, motionless almost to the degree that Oliver would be checking her pulse frantically. Her face was peaceful, free of the usual tension that took residence on her features that always seemed to have her on edge, the weight of her line of work, she'd told him once, was too important to take lightly.

He considered her for a moment, what she meant to him...she was... _Laurel_... she was his constant, his reality

"Sleep" she said after a heart beat of silence, breaking the peaceful spell "you have work tomorrow" breaking the moment of the world being just him and just her, together in her dark room with the faulty ceiling, thoughts of spending the rest of their lives together floating around his cluttered mind.

But he complied, falling into a restless slumber

He awoke hours later to the sound of Laurel padding around the room barefoot in unsuccessful stealth. He watched her walking groggily but still productively through the room, gathering her clothes, patting at her dark hair that had rustled with sleep. She was pulling on her dress pants when she noticed him watching her

"good morning" she said, a smile spreading slowly on her face

"Morning" he murmured, stretching his hands behind him, resting his head on the palms of his folded arms while he watched his girlfriend get dressed

"enjoying the show?" she asked with a chuckle, glancing at him over her shoulder

"mmmmmm" he answered, his eyes openly raking over her topless back

"I have to work late today" she told him after she was fully dressed, only a few buttons left undone, revealing a patch of smooth skin.

"Okay"

"theres this case we have to crack today, a little girl's mother is unjustly in jail, she's all she has left" she explained from her bathroom, sweeping a brush in circular motions over her face

He closed his eyes for another second, his heavy thoughts finally taking a toll on him, before he heard her moving through the room again. Her cheeks had a pinkish flush swept over them,he noticed as she approached, and her eyes were darkened only slightly by a deep shade of eyeshadow. She stepped over his discarded shirt to give him a quick peck on the lips

She hovered over him, brushing her nose over his "Lunch?"

"I'm actually having lunch with Tommy"

Silence

She pulled back abruptly "Is he back?" she asked, her voice sounding the slightest bit strained

"Yeah, he got back yesterday night, called me as soon as he arrived, said Europe treated him well"

"Yeah?" she swallowed, not quite meeting his eyes

"Yeah"

she gathered her heels quickly, sitting on the bed with her back to him, strapping them on in a rush, not looking at him as she reached across him to get her keys from the nightstand. He grabbed her wrist before she could make her hasty exit, kissing the inside of her palm

"everything ok?" his brows were furrowed, confused by her odd behavior

"Fine"

"you sure? as soon as I mentioned that Tommy was back you freaked, is something wrong?"

"No!" she snapped "Im fine, nothing is wrong" she said, softer this time, her shoulders still tense, body language practically screaming that she was anything but fine.

"Just in a hurry"

"Okay" he said reluctantly "If you're sure"

"Positive" she smiled then, her muscles straining for it to appear sincere, but he knew better

"Okay"

* * *

**_Tommy_**

He was back

back in Starling

back _home_.

Don't get him wrong, Europe was great, the continent was packed with countless very foreign, very willing _belle filles_ that took it upon themselves to make him feel very much at home

But you know what they say, there's no place like home, _actual_ home, and you know what else they say, home is where the heart is...or something like that. His favorite, though is, there's nothing like a big juicy, cholesterol packed, _American_ burger... thats probably not a saying, but burgers are his kryptonite and better if they're shared with a friend

A _best_ friend

"Tommy Merlyn" he heard a familiar voice call from across the parking garage at Big Belly Burger, taking his attention from handing his cab driver a bill. Tommy turned, knowing exactly who that voice belonged to

"Oliver Queen" he called back, a wide smile spreading on his face

He watched Oliver look both ways before crossing the street, his green tie blowing over his shoulder, a familiar smile on his face. He gave the driver a fifty dollar bill "_keep the change" _and walked over to meet his friend half way

"where have you been, buddy?" Oliver asked, clapping him on the back in one of those very manly kind of hugs

"Oh you know, making a name for us Americans in Europe" he said, wagging his eyebrows at his friend

he laughed "of course", motioning his head as if it were something obvious that he should have already known "well, we missed you here, in plain old America"

it was Tommy's turn to laugh "you look to be doing just fine without me" he teased, nodding towards his expensive business suit

Oliver chuckled and shrugged before going serious and bringing a hand to his friend's shoulder "I missed you Tommy, I hope you stick around this time around"

"I missed you too, Oliver" he said, refraining from using his childhood nickname, thinking it was no longer fitting for the business man that his friend had become

thanking every god of every religion that he wasn't the old Ollie of before, not that he didn't like the old Ollie, it was just time they both grew up, the reckless billionaire act had lost its charm and he was glad Oliver thought the same.

"I'm not planning on leaving again any time soon, I missed burgers too much" he confessed, as they made their way inside the fast food establishment. The inside was bright, filled with people on their lunch breaks. They slid into the only booth that was free and ordered their food, double burgers for both of them and a large chocolate shake- for old times sake

"what? no burgers in Europe?" Oliver joked, after they had their orders and began digging into the enormous burgers, Tommy eyeing the large stack of meat eagerly.

"not the big, amazing, greasy kind" he mumbled in between bites "they're all gourmet and refined, it should be a crime, really" he wiped some grease off his fingers and sighed contently "yeah, it's good to be back"

They joked around for a few moments, remembering why they were best friends, falling back into easy conversation

"so, how are the Queens? your mom? Thea?" he asked, a glint of genuine curiosity in his eyes

Oliver nodded, swallowing his bite before answering. "They're good, Thea's growing up, seeing _boys_" he added with a touch of distaste "planning on college next fall" he continued, taking another massive bite from his burger

"my mom remarried, got together with Walter" he shrugged "he's good for her, it's been a long time since my dad..."

"yeah" Tommy said gently, not making him finish the sentence, his eyes softening at the edges like they did when he'd consoled him all those years ago- never pitied, which, at his greatest time of need, he was grateful for.

"Walter _Steele_? The guy that helped your dad run the company?"

"Mhmm" he nodded, shoving the last bite of his burger into his mouth and crushing the wrapper in his palm.

They were quiet for a moment, as quiet as a packed restaurant could be anyway and Tommy's internal struggle raged on, he still hadn't asked about who he was dying to know about but god he wanted to. He'd spent so much time lying in his too-large too-luxurious bed wondering if she'd finished law school like she said she would, if she helped as many people as she wanted to, if her eyes still shined whenever she talked about lawyer-y stuff

he'd bet his trust find they did, just as passionately as he remembered

he rubbed the back if his neck nervously, he was going to ask, just casually slip it in between remarks about the good old days, it was natural to ask, right? they'd all been friends at one time...

but thats when he said it

"I'm going to ask Laurel to marry me"

his heart dropped to his feet, a ball of anxiety building slowly in the pit of his stomach.

of course they were still together

Oliver and Laurel

Laurel and Oliver

thats how it'd been since he could remember, how it always was

only when it hadn't been, when she'd shown up, sobbing, mumbling something about _Ollie_ having cheated on her _again_

I'd been _his_ shoulder she cried on that night, needing the comfort that he was all too eager to provide

_his_ name she breathed out, _his_ hair she'd run her slender fingers through as she clung onto him for dear life.

and he'd struggled with it, god knows he'd struggled himself mad, his own little piece of hell with wanting her as bad as he did

but Laurel? She was it

she was

god he'd been such an idiot thinking the stars would align in his favor, that she'd realize Oliver wasn't for her- too much history, too much hurt

that she'd somehow be waiting for him

yeah, stupid alright, because she wasn't his to want- she loved Oliver, _Oliver_, his _best friend_ Oliver

she'd told him as much after her lips had left his, after he was left feeling cold without her lips to warm his up, to chase away the chill, the biting frigid guilt that he saw reflected in her eyes.

He knew that after having tasted what she felt like, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from wanting more- from aching for more, and even though it'd be hypocritical of him, he knew Oliver would be upset, would hate them both for it.

so he'd left, gone as far as his luxurious taste would take him, run all the way to France.

But he was back now, his stupid hope of their love burning out crushed with a simple sentence. And he felt like shit for wishing his friend, his best friend, anything but the best- but his heart ached, his hopes throbbing with hurt.

"really?" He asked, but it sounded strained, even to his ears

"yeah, she's been hinting at it for months now" he said,working on finishing his shake, checking his watch knowing he had an important meeting in half-an hour

"and my moms been hinting that she wants grandkids, with the subtly of an elephant" he chuckled

kids?

_Shit_

his mind reeled

"thats _great_, Oliver"

he wasn't ready to see Oliver and Laurel's kids

he nodded, grinning "Im going to put it on a breadstick"

he wondered if he would ever be- _ready_

"like that one movie she likes?"

no he wouldn't, but he'd be damned if he was anything but happy for his two friends

"Yeah" he laughed "It's not too cheesy right?"

he felt like he'd been punched in the gut, his eyes unfocused, momentarily going to an alternate universe where Oliver and Laurel had a football team of kids, a tacky minivan who's sliding door always seemed to stick, a very cliche, very Laurel picket white fence, a garden and a retirement plan...

"Not in the slightest, its perfect, she'll love it"

no, not an alternate universe, the _future_

a future he came to realize he didn't have a place in

His pulse raced and his stomach somersaulted, would he be ready when the time came? to realize she was happy with Oliver? to _watch_ her be happy? would he have the strength to be the best man at the wedding and do the stupid bunny hop ?

He pushed the unsettling questions from his mind, as far as he could get them, instead commenting on Oliver's constant watch checking. "Big meeting?" He lifted an eyebrow and Oliver looked up sheepishly, "yeah, sorry about that" he apologized

"Walters been talking about a collaboration with Smoak Industries, it's a company from central city, fairly new, says we need them" he explained "apparently their technological division is the best thing since sliced bread and Walter thinks their head of the division, a so called, Flick Smaok, will be able to turn our shitty division around" Tommy hummed in acknowledgement

"Flick?"

"Yeah, he's apparently a genius. Graduated first in his class at MIT, skipped like three grades, perfect SAT scores, child prodigy, so it seems. His dad, Clint Smoak, the CEO, couldn't stop talking about him"

"yeah? He must look like the typical nerd then" Tommy commented, making absentminded conversation, his mind perpetually elsewhere

"hmm" he said while sipping up the last of his shake "don't know, I haven't seen him, he's scheduled to drop by my office later today- all I know is what his father's bragged to me about at the charity gala where I met him"

_'Flick graduated as the top student at MIT', 'never got less than an A in any class', 'Flick has an eye for technology, after Flick came to the company, it's changed so much for the better', he'd zoned out a bit after that_, only listening enough to 'ahh' and 'ooh' in the right places. At the end he'd agreed to meet with the almighty Flick on Walter's request

"and Walter?"

"Doesn't know much either, apparently he'd been studying abroad or something " he finished, dismissing the conversation as unimportant with a shrug of his shoulders

Tommy nodded, chewing distractedly on a French fry

Oliver smirked "had lots of those I bet" he said, motioning at the strip of fried potato

Tommy laughed but it didn't touch his eyes

"Your jokes are still terrible"


	2. History and New Beginnings

So I have admittedly gotten a little too excited about posting chapter two of this story since I already had it written, so much that I decided to just post it now, 3rd chapter might be a little slower to come up but I hope you enjoy part 2!

* * *

**~Chick Flick~**

**[Two]**

**Oliver **

his head was going to explode.

It was already pounding furiously, the head splitting ache having taken root in his temples hours ago as he strained his brain to understand the report from the tech division- which could be written in a foreign language for all he knew. He gritted his teeth, slow, hard, and frustrated, the muscles in his jaw contracting painfully, wishing, not for the first time, that he hadn't dropped out of every Ivy league school in the country.

He blew out a strained puff of air through his teeth, leaning back onto his ergonomic chair that somehow, despite the couple hundred bucks he put down for it, did nothing for the ever present stress knots in his shoulders, _and neck_ apparently, he noted, as he rolled the bulging muscles of his neck, flinching when they, too, strained to the point of pain.

he brought a hand over his tense shoulder blade and sighed

Maybe the help from Smoak industries wasn't as uncalled for as he'd thought. Because if he was being honest, which he was, technology had never quite been his forte, he usually steered completely clear of it actually, emailing and chatting and whatever else people did on their computers were definitely not part of his skill set, let alone turning the technological division at QC into a state of the art division

Not being one to care so much about appearances (anymore), he ran his hand messily through his short hair, loosening his tie again in an attempt to ease the sensation that the green patterned fabric was slowly strangling him to death. He alleviated the knot, moving it back and forth until he felt he could breathe. With a resigned sigh, his eyes returned to squinting feebly at the small text that was typed neatly throughout the dozen sheets of paper and, not surprising, still not understanding a word.

a few moments of helpless confusion later and Louis, his secretary, popped her head inside his office, her grey hair falling to the side as she informed him that his three o'clock was waiting outside

eyes flickering back to the impossibly complicated tech gibberish on his reports, he knew he needed Flick Smoak on his side

And _badly_

he rose to his feet, redoing the button on his suit and straightening his tie, all he needed to do was feed this so called Flick a few guy to guy lines, maybe invite him over for a beer and it'd be all but done, pice of cake

"Send them in"

Thats when he saw her, from the transparency of his office walls , trailing behind his elderly secretary who'd been assistant to the CEO for over 30 years. Her bright pink dress moved graciously as her heels hit the tiles, somehow flowing mesmerizingly but still managing to hug her curves in all the right places. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail that swayed in sync with the subtle sway of her hips as she moved.

She was beautiful, he thought, blowing out a surprised breath, still finding it endlessly _irritating_ that Flick Smoak would send his _secretary_ in his place to a meeting with Queen consolidated's _CEO_.

He sighed, irked by the situation, he was in no mood to deal with assistants today, he might be under-qualified for the job as CEO but he wasn't an idiot. He'd gone over Smaok Industries's financial reports himself, just a routine background check on the company, and it was obvious what the deal would be, capital in exchange for a few sprinkles of Flick Smoak's Tech magic , the child prodigy genius that apparently couldn't even be bothered to meet with the intellectually inferior CEO of QC.

The beautiful woman made it into his office then, clearing her throat and opening her mouth to speak. He lifted a finger to stop her and gave her a closed mouthed smile that was painfully strained at best, intent on telling her that if Flick Smoak wanted a deal, he'd have to come and endure a meeting with him instead of sending his secretary, however pretty or sexy librarian-esq he found them to be.

she closed her bright fuchsia lips and lifted a perfectly shaped eyebrow, her stunning blue eyes staring at him unimpressed from behind the glossy lenses of her glasses

"listen" he started, taking a step forward to stand beside her, only faintly noticing how alluring the scent of her perfume was, waiting until she answered his unspoken Question

"Felicity" she supplied, almost suspiciously

"right, listen _Felicity_, I appreciate you coming all this way" he told her, taking small steps back towards the exit with a careful hand set hovering over the small of her back, effectively herding her out of his office with every word "but I'm going to need you to inform Mr. Flick Smoak that if he wants to, in fact, come into a partnership with Queen Consolidated, which would very much be my wish, I've heard only good things of him and his godly tech skills" he informed her, making sure to put his plan to woo Flick Smoak in motion as soon as possible, and what better than with his secretary, right? "he's going to need to come to my office _personally_ to discuss business matters which I'm sure are not in your responsibilities or qualifications"

with one last dismissive smile, he expected her to apologize for wasting his precious time because you know what they say, time is money, and he was a busy man. She was supposed to smile and tell him that she would pass the message on, in that soothing voice that secretaries tended to have

Instead, she looked up at him for a moment, studying him, her eyes traveling over his face. She quirked her head to the side after her scrutiny was finished and _laughed_

she laughed, at _him,_ he was pretty sure

he watched her in utter confusion and before he could ask the reason behind her fit of laughter, without another glance in his direction, she turned on her heel and walked out of his office, hips swaying softly, blonde ponytail swinging behind her.

Not by any means for the first time that evening, he blew out a confused breath as he watched after her, noticing how her heels resounded on the tiles, falling with more force than necessary

"did something go wrong with Ms. Smoak?" He heard Louis ask, joining him in watching the woman make her way over to the executive elevator

"hmm?"

"Ms. Smoak?"she asked "the young woman who was just here, head of the Technological division at Smoak Industries? You were suppose to close a deal with her?" She looked at him as if he were a child with her 'is any of this ringing a bell?' face that was reserved for whenever he forgot something terribly important

which, oddly enough, was quite a lot

he was still processing her words when he watched the elevator doors close on Ms. Smoak's pretty face, the woman's bright pink frame disappearing behind the heavy metal doors.

"what?" He strained, or more like squeaked, bewildered panic flooding his chest

"that was Ms. Smoak, daughter of Clint Smoak, you know the one you were suppose to charm the pants off of? Her dad calls her..." She paused trying to recall the nickname the older man always used

"hmmm" she rubbed her chin pensively "it's something quite odd to call a girl, I just can't recall what it is..."

"Flis? No it wasn't that..Lis? No no, that's not it either "

"Flick" he deadpanned

"yes! Thats it, quite strange isn't it?"

Felicity Smoak

Flick Smoak

_Felicity_

_Flick_

_Fuck._

Before he knew what he was doing, he was running towards the elevators, not sure if intent on saving his reputation, her feelings, or his precious deal

probably all three

_shit_, he was such an idiot. No wonder she'd laughed in his face, _she_ was the tech genius, first in her class, skipped three grades, singlehandedly turned around a whole division and he'd confused her for a damn secretary.

He pushed the elevator button eagerly, bringing his finger up to press it again and again, and then a third time when it didn't open immediately. He waited and when the doors refused to part at the speed he needed, he raced to the staircase only halfway registering Louis asking him where in the world he was going "you have a meeting in forty minutes, Mr. Queen!"

He took the stairs two at a time and practically burst into the lobby, momentarily loosing his footing and skidding across the tiled floor

"Ms. Smaok!" He called out breathlessly, watching as she was still making her way towards the building's exit, talking animatedly with a tall man dressed in a black suit "I mean Digg! Can you believe the nerve ?" She asked, sounding amused, making him flinch as he approached

"Ms. Smoak" he called again when he was closer and had regained his somewhat steady breathing

she turned upon hearing her name, her ponytail whipping with the movement and giving him a whiff of her strawberry shampoo. The humor left her eyes upon seeing him, replaced by that same unimpressed look she'd given him before, this time mixed with a degree of exasperation.

She waited silently, lifting her eyebrows when he didn't speak immediately, momentarily distracted by how pink her lips were up close, how unwaveringly bright they were, resisting the moisture even as her tongue peeked up to run over them. _Thats some lipstick_, he thought to himself, not quite admitting that what had him stupefied was the plump shape of her lips and not the moisture resistance of her lipstick

she cleared her throat, still nothing. She rolled her eyes, deciding to speak up herself

"this is my friend and head of security, John Diggle" she said, motioning towards the man she'd been speaking to, breaking the awkwardness

"this is Mr. Queen" the man, John, nodded, extending his hand to grip Oliver's in a tight handshake, an amused look on his face that told him that John Diggle knew exactly what had just transpired in his office. His mouth was curved down almost looking sorry for him, making him think that Ms. Smoak didn't take kindly to being talked down to

of course she didn't, she was probably smarter than half this building combined

he panicked, not knowing what to say, so he let his smooth talking CEO instincts kick in

"listen, Ms. Smoak, I'm sorry about that small misunderstanding back there" he smiled, a wide, charming kind of smile that every CEO had in their ammunitions for whenever they royally screwed up

"there was a small miscommunication between my secretary and myself- I hope you'll accept my most sincerest apolo-"

"_Listen_, Mr. Queen" she started, completely interrupting him, taking a step forward, almost right into his personal space.

"I'm aware that this-this" she paused, motioning towards the smile that was still plastered strategically on his face "charming CEO act usually works wonders for you" she told him, leaning in close as if murmuring a secret "but I know for a fact that your secretary, Louis right? Was under no confusion as to who I was"

his smile deflated

he cleared his throat, feeling suddenly that there was something blocking his airways, his tie becoming a noose around his neck again. He rubbed the back of his head nervously, feeling it damper than was brought about by the fall season as she continued, her blue eyes never leaving his

"and if I'm being completely honest with you, Mr. Queen, the fact you'd blame something that was most definitely _your_ bad on your secretary, who did nothing wrong, says a possible two things- that you're a self centered CEO that won't even admit to his own mistakes and that you're willing to undermine the good work of a very competent secretary like Mrs. Louis all because you failed to do a little research on the person you were meeting with"

she took a breath, giving her lungs a break from talking while he watched helplessly as her blue eyes bore into his own, impassioned while she gave it to him straight. He gaped at her bewildered by her words that hit him like a ton of bricks

"leading me to believe that you don't appreciate your employees, like, _at all_ ,and that you're not one to own up to your own mistakes. None of which make me want to join you in any type of collaboration" she might as well have slapped him square in the face

she didn't wait for his retaliation, after murmuring a quick farewell, she turned on her heel and, once again, left him watching after her in his crowded lobby

something told him that winning over Flick Smoak, or should he say _Felicity_, was going to be harder than he'd anticipated

* * *

**Laurel**

"Laurel" she heard it whispered into the darkened offices at CNRI, the sound of it more like a sigh, like a breath that had been held in for too long.

She knew that voice, she'd heard echoes of it for a while after he'd gone, mostly deep in her conscience but sometimes in her dreams too. She'd missed that voice, even if she wouldn't admit it to herself, _couldn't_ admit it to herself.

She didn't turn in her chair when the whisper reached her tiny work station, didn't even take her eyes from the case she had been studying, although her focus had wavered her eyes stayed glued onto the tiny print. He didn't approach either, content staying in the shadows, watching as her back lifted and fell in sync with her steady breathing.

it was a while before any of them spoke again, it was Tommy who broke the silence "I missed you" were his words, uttered slowly, carefully

she turned at that, her eyes wide, searching the lightless offices for some confirmation that it was actually him, that he was here, back from his self imposed exile.

she'd told him to stay, laughed nervously when she spoke of the kiss, told him it didn't have to mean anything. They'd both been talking about their missing puzzle piece, there had been a little too much wine- she'd told him it was an emotionally fragile moment, two friends finding comfort in each other

_it doesn't have to mean anything,_ she'd told him, pleaded him

He'd looked in her eyes then, so deeply, so completely that she found herself fearing what he could see. The truth? could he see the truth? she's wondered, even after he'd gone, and sometimes she wished he could. They hadn't spoken for a while, sitting on her old couch, warmed solely by the heat of their embrace,when he finally explained, _that's the thing Laurel, _he'd told her_, it does mean something, to me, it means everything. It would kill me for it to mean nothing, for us to call it a mistake_

She hadn't had an answer to that, still didn't

so he'd gone, preferring proverbial exile than lying to himself about his true feeling- that made one of them

"take care of yourself" had been his last words to her "I'll see you when I see you" and in true Tommy fashion, he'd gone with a smile.

but now he was back, his eyes grazing over her face, greedily taking in her features, memorizing the curve of her cheek, the slant of her nose. She did the same, eyes smiling at her friend, he hadn't changed a bit, the curve of his jaw was still soft and boyishly dull, his eyes still crinkled at the edges when he smiled, his hair, even, was the same, spiked like he'd always worn it.

He was here,_ Tommy_

"I missed you too" was all she thought to say, smiling sincerely, all the tension and buildup of what it would be like seeing him again gone in an instant from her shoulders, replaced by joy and a sense of relief.

She got up, deciding she didn't care that what happened should make this moment awkward, she moved, the glow of her desk light the only thing misplacing the shadows as she approached where he was, still in the same spot, cloaked in shadows. She walked slowly, shorter without her heels, the tiles cold under her warm feet, that somehow pounded along with the rapid beating of her pulse.

_Why are you nervous?_, she asked herself, _Stop being nervous,this is Tommy, it's just Tommy._

But it wasn't _just_ Tommy

* * *

Please leave a review! they are the fuel that keeps my engine going Thanksxx


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